Jay Yozviak is shown in his family-owned Forty Fort business, Land and Lake Patio, which specializes in furnishings that make outdoor spaces feel and look appealing. The business won the 2026 Times Leader Best of the West Side award in the furniture store category.
Jennifer Learn-Andes | Times Leader
Yards, decks and patios are increasingly viewed as valued extensions of homes and businesses, and Land and Lake Patio in Forty Fort is focused on furnishings that make these outdoor spaces feel and look appealing.
“Our outdoor spaces are now one of the most popular ‘rooms,’ so the ability to offer indoor comfort with outdoor materials lends itself to extended outdoor living spaces,” said Jay Yozviak, who opened the business with his family in 2017.
Land and Lake won the 2026 Times Leader Best of the West Side award in the furniture store category.
Yozviak and his family also operate some other well-known, family-owned businesses in Northeastern Pennsylvania, including the portrait and commercial business Photography By JAY for more than 30 years, which is now in Forty Fort. The family acquired the 76-year-old business, Keefer’s Workwear, in Kingston in 2024.
Land and Lake specializes in quality and luxury outdoor furniture and shades for residential, commercial and hospitality customers.
The business offers products from numerous suppliers, including both imported and American-manufactured, that are made of wicker, rattan, poly-enviro, aluminum, teak and other materials.
Running his hand over the intricate weave on a chair, he plops into the soft cushion and invites visitors to do the same to demonstrate it is not the stiff seating sometimes equated with outdoor furnishings.
Land and Lake’s fire tables are increasingly popular for creating outdoor ambiance without the campfire smell. The flames are turned on and off with a switch, and most contain deck surrounds for drinks and snacks.
The business also sells bar table sets, rugs, umbrellas, retractable awnings, pavilions, pergolas, and more.
It is now expanding into selling saunas and cold plunge tubs that are growing in popularity for those seeking an icy therapy or rush.
Yozviak described an ultimate backyard featuring a back porch or sunroom furnished with high-quality seating, a four-season pavilion housing a sectional around a fire table near a dining area covered by a cantilever umbrella. He envisions a bar area covered by a retractable awning close to the house and a four-person outdoor sauna next to a cold plunge.
“We’ve got great customers that value both their outdoor living space and the brands, products, and services we offer,” he said. “We’re grateful to have developed some great backyards! Some people like to travel and vacation, others invest in their own backyard retreats.”
These retreats are not just for the summer, he said.
“While the weather can still be a surprise here in Northeast PA, it’s not uncommon for us to enjoy our outdoor spaces easily into October, November and beyond,” Yozviak said.
The business was developed because Yozviak and his family “noticed a gap in the market for good, quality outdoor furniture.
Originally based in Swoyersville, the business opened the showroom at 119 Welles St. in Forty Fort in February to showcase some of the options.
“We offer so much online, but people still want to see the colors and feel the textures and fabrics,” Yozviak said.
The showroom and business website, landandlakepatio.com, display “only a glimpse of what we offer,” he said, noting he could fill at least four football fields with outdoor living products he has available.
Land and Lake offers complimentary consultation and design assistance at project sites, and Yozviak said he serves a “huge radius” that even extends outside Pennsylvania due to his offering of some top brands that are not carried by many.
While he believes “there is a place for big box stores” that sell outdoor furnishings, Yozviak said he offers a “step up” while trying to remain competitive with pricing.
He thanked the public for choosing his business for the award.
“It’s quite the honor, especially considering there are a lot of choices out there for furniture, both indoor and outdoor,” he said.
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